Automatic firearm



Jan. 20, 1942. F. JANEEK AUTOMATIC FIREARM Filed Dec. 14, 1937 mwb s b. N*

I Patented Jan. 20, 1942 2,270,683 i AUTOMATIC FIREARM Frantisek Janeek, Prague-Nusle, Czechoslovakia Application December'll, 1937, Serial No. 179,769 In Czechoslovakia December 14, 1936 (Cl. I2-3) 9 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improvement of the locking device of an automatic fire-arm with a fixed barrel and with a locking operated by the inertia of the recoil parts. Between the breech block and the recoil locking block proper an actuator is inserted, said actuator being designed as a single-arm lever provided with a sufiicient transmission ratio between the motion of the breech block and the motion of the recoil locking mass; said actuator being set out of action, after ring, at a convenlent time and thereupon the breech block and the breech block carrier move together towards their rearmost position. v

It is a feature of the object of this invention, that said actuator is arranged in such a manner as to be able of angular displacement and, in its locked position bears by one of its locking surfaces against a xed support in the receiver, the other locking surface of the actuator urging the breech block onto the front of the barrel.

After ring, the pressure of the gases is transmitted, through the cartridge bottom onto the breech block and thereby against the breech surface between the locking block, actuator and the fixed support within the receiver. By the effect of this force the actuator begins its displacement by rolling on the locking surfaces which motion results in an accelerated movement of the breech block carrier, the breech block moving substantially slower. This rolling or turning movement of the actuator continues until a time where the actuator is set out of action by sliding on the nxed support into `the interior of the receiver, with its free end engaging the receiver wall. By this arrangement a mutual distance is reliably maintained, during their further movement, between the breech block and its carrier, as both these parts are held apart by the actuator. On its forward motion, the whole mechanism is held in the spread position by the force of the feed spring until the actuator glides upon the fixed support Within the receiver and the locking action takes place.

According to the mass of the locking mechanism and according to the necessary speed of the recoil, the transmission ratio of the actuator may be chosen, within Wide limits, by a suitable shape of the locking surfaces. By varying the length of the actuator it is possible, at the same transmission ratio, to attain various periods of locking and thereby to control the cadence of the fire, i. e., the kinetic energy of the locking mechanism.

In arms with a iiiced locking it is necessary that unlocking be effected only after the bullet has left the barrel and the pressure in the barrel has ceased, as otherwise unlocking under pressure would require an excessive amount of power and work. However, with the design according to the present invention this is not absolutely necessary, since there is no locking effect of the kind found in arms with fixed locks, but a locking effect caused by the breech block masses suitably multiplied by the transmission ratio of the actuator; unlocking begins immediately after `firing the shot, as instantaneously after firing begins the motion of the cartridge, breech block, actuator and breech block carrier. For this reason full unlocking, that is, setting the transmission ratio of the actuator out of action, may begin even while there is still a pressure within the barrel; in such case we may attain a very considerable speed of the breech block device, as after unlocking, the eiective breech block mass (no longer multiplied by the transmission ratio of the actuator) is substantially reduced.

By the above described two methods, i. e. by changing both the transmission of the actuator and the period of locking action, it is possible to control, within a wide range, the amount of energy transmitted, on firing, onto the breech block mechanism, without changing the mass of the breech block. This feature is very important for the design of the arm, as on the one hand, a very small mass is suiicient for attaining a desired locking effect and, on the other hand, the required cadence of the re may be easily attained and the passive resistances of the feed devices and other mechanisms be easily overcome.

The control above described is limited by the resistance of the cartridge; therefore, the transmission ratio must not be too small in view of the properties of the locking masses employed, as the cartridge leaving the barrel chamber would not be able to withstand, in its uncovered parts, the high pressure occurring after firing; it is however possible to attain, with the same masses of the breech block, a larger transmission ratio and earlier unlocking, thus saving the cartridge and realising a sufficiently high speed of the breech block mechanism.

An embodiment of the object of this invention isshown, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the arm, the breech block mechanism being in its locking position, Fig. 2 is a similar Section, the locking mechanism being in this case in its rearmost position, Fig. 3 is a cross section In the drawing l is the xed barrel, wherein' a bullet 2 is inserted within the barrel chamber. The barrel l is xedly connected (by threads, bayonet joint or the like) with the receiver 3 for the breech block, which receiver is provided with a cylindrical bore for receiving the breech block mechanism. The breech block 4 is supported within the guideway of the carrier 6 in such a manner as to be able of displacement in a longitudinal direction, said carrier 6 being sldable within the receiver 3 and secured by a guideway (not shown) against rotation. The actuator 5 is supported in the carrier 6 in a manner so as to be capable of angular displacement, the supporting surface being only slightly greater than the surface of a half-cylinder, so that it is possible, after displacing the actuator angularly into a determined position, to remove the actuator 5 from its seat within the carrier so that assembling and dismantling of these parts may be realised in a very easy manner. It is obvious,l that the actuator 5 may be inserted in the carrier 6 only when the mechanism is removed from the receiver, i. e. the support being drawn out, and the mutual position of the actuator and support, on inserting, being such that it cannot fall out accidentally.

In the locked position, Fig. 1, the actuator 5 through the action of the recoil spring 8 on the mechanism is realised through the action o the spring 8, a new cartridge being fed into the barrel chamber by any suitable known feed mechanism (not shown). On its forward movement said mechanism remains positively -in the position where the parts are held apart, which is shown in Fig. 2, until the moment where the actuator 5 slides down upon the locking surface of the stop i and the locking occurs. The spring it maintains meantimes the firing pin in its re-` tracted position.

The modified embodiment shown in Fig. 4 has a non-cylindrical interior of the receiver, i. e. the inter-lor, in this case, has a rectangular shape and the shapes of the breech block, breech block carrier and actuator are adapted thereto.

'I'he discharging and firing mechanism may be designed in any manner whatsoever. More particularly it is possible to design said devices for automatic firing directly by the action of the breech block carrier which, 'at the end of the locking motion, strikes the firing pin.

carrier 6, will be urged, on the one hand, against the breech block 4, and on the other hand against the stop 1, mounted iixedly within the receiver 3 of the breech block; the locking surfaces, i. e. engages surfaces of the breech block 4, actuator 5 and stop 'l are formed out in the same manner as the flanks of the teeth gears, so that said surfaces in case of relative movement of said parts roll on each other with slight gliding. The top surface l of the stop 'l fits with the interior of the receiver 3 to enable the actuator to slide, without disturbance, after unlocking, upon the s top 'I into the receiver bore.

The recoil spring 8 bears on the cover 9 which is connected to the receiver 3, for example, by means of a bayonet joint. After removing said cover 9 the whole mechanism may be drawn out.

Firing is eiected, for example, by the hammer l2 being engaged, in the position shown in Fig. 2, by the latch i3, to be released by the known trigger (not shown). After unlocking'the latch i3, the hammer l2 strikes, through an opening in the actuator, the firing pin i0 whereupon rng occurs. By the pressure fof the gases acting through the intermediary of the cartridge bottom I claim:

1. In an automatic firearm, a'flxed barrel vand a receiver secured thereto, a breech block and a breech block carrier longitudinally slidably mounted in sa-id receiver#y a ring pin carried in said breech block, means connecting said breech block and said carrier together for limited longitudinal movement with respect to one another, and an actuator interposed between said breech block and said carrier for effective differential recoil movement between said carrier and said breech block after firing, and a recoil spring in said receiver acting on said carrier, said actuator having an opening in line with said tiring pin, and a hammer constructed to enter said opening to actuate the tir-ing pin when the parts are in the ring position. y

2. In an automatic irearm. a fixed barrel'and a receiver secured thereto, a breech block and a breech block carrier longitudinally slidably mounted in said receiver, a firing pin carried -in said breech block, means connecting said breech block and said carrier together for limited longitudinal movement w-ith respect to one another, and an actuator interposed between said breech block and said carrier for effective differential recoil movement between said carrier and said breech block after firing, and a recoil spring in y said receiver acting on said carrier, said receiver havinga xed stop for cooperation with said Y actuator when the breech block land carrier are lin the advanced or firing position, said actuator having an yopening in line with said ring pin, and a hammer constructed to enter said opening to actuate the ring pin when the parts are vin onto the breech block and thereby on the locking surfaces between the breech block 4, actuator` 5 and xed stop 1, the actuator begins to swing and imparts to the carrier 6 a movement substantially faster than is the movement of the breech block d. After having turned a certain distance, depending on the length of the actuator, the latter slides over the fixed stop 'l and bears, with its cylindrical lower surface on the inner wall of the breech block receiver 3, during which movement the stop n of the carrier 6 meets the breech block and the whole mechanism therefore serves as a unit, with the parts held apart as can be seen 4in Fig. 2, towards its rearmost position.l By this movement the hammer l2 is brought into its cocked position, the empty cartridge is thrown out in a known manner and the recoil spring-8 is compressed. The return movement ot" the l ing'the rearpartof said breech block, the en'- y the firing position.

3. In an automatic rearm, a xedbarrel and a receiver securing thereto, a breech blockv and a breech block carrierlongitudinally slidably mounted in said receiver, a ring pin carried in said breech block, means connecting said.

breech block and said carrier together for limited longitudinal movement with respect to one another, and an. actuator interposed between said breech block and said carrier for eiective differential recoil movement between said carrier and said breech block after firing, and a recoil spring in said receiver acting on said carrier, said actuator being pivoted to said carrier and engaggaging surfaces of said actuator with said breech block, said carrier andsaid for rolling contact. y

receiver being ,formed aa'zoicss 4. In an automatic ilrearm, a xed barrel, a receiver secured to said barrel in axial align# ment therewith,a breech block and a carrier overlapping said breech block, a connection between said breechblock and said carrier whereby they may have a limited independent movement longitudinally and whereby for the balance of their movement they will move as one, said receiver having a fixed stop -out of the path of movement of said breech block and carrier, a rocking actuator pivoted tasaid carrier to the rear of said breech block and constructed to project beyond the diameter 'of said receiver into engagement with said fixed stop and to hold the breech block in place when the parts are in the advanced or firing positions, said receiver on Y 4Vthe recoii'of the carrier and breech block 'serving to retard theV recoil-'movement of said breech block and simultaneously accelerate the recoil movement of said carrier at the beginning ofthe recoil, the breech block and carrier thereafter moving as a` unit, and a recoil spring in said receiver acting on said carrier.

5. In an automatic rearm, a xed barrel and a receiver secured thereto and in axial alignment therewith, a breech block carrying a ringv pin', and a breech block carrier in said receiver, means connecting said block and carrier to move as a unit with a limited independent longitudinal movement between them, an actuator interposed between said carrier and said breech block, and means cooperating with said actuator to lock said block and said carrier in the advanced or ring position, said actuator serving to eiect an acceleration of the recoil movement of the carrier and a retardation of the recoil movement of said breechblock until the carrier has reached the limit of said independent movement, a re coil spring in said receiver to engage said carrier, a hammer pivoted outside said receiver, said receiver, said carrier and said actuator eachhaving an opening to permit passage of said hammer to said ring pin.

6. In an automatic ilrearm, a fixed barrel formed to receive a cartridge, a tubular receiver secured to said barrel in alignment with the same, a breech block and a breech block carrier mounted for longitudinal movement in said receiver, a spring retracted ring pin carried vby said breech block, a recoil spring in said receiver to the rear of said breech block and said carrier, said receiver having a well with a. xed stop, an actuator comprising a member pivoted at one end to said carrier and of a length to project into said well to cooperate with said xed stop and by engaging said breech block serve to lock the breech block in the -ilring position, said actuator also serving at the commencement of the recoil action to retard the breech block and 7. In an automatic flrearm, a xed barrel formed to receive a cartridge, a tubular receiver secured to said barrel in alignment with a the same, a breech block. and a breech block carrier mounted for longitudinal movement in said receiver, a spring retracted ring pin carried by said breech block, a recoil spring in said receiver tothe rear oi said breech block and said carrier, said receiver having a well with a fixed stop, an actuator comprising a member pivoted at one end to said carrier and of a length to project into said well to cooperate with said xed stop and by engaging said breech block serve to lock the breech block in the firing position, said actuator also serving at the commencement of the recoil action to retard the breech block and accelerate the carrier, until the actuator is rockedto a position where its projecting end is brought into the receiver, the contacting surfaces of said actuator being shaped for rolling contact.

8. In an automatic firearm, a fixed barrel formed to receive a cartridge, a tubular receiver secured to said barrel in alignment with the same, a breech block and a breech block carrier mounted for longitudinal movement in said receiver, a spring retracted ring pin carried by said breech block, a recoil spring in said receiver to the rear of said breech block and said carrier, said receiver having awell with a xed stop, anactuator comprising a member pivoted at one end to said carrier and of a length to project into said well to cooperate with said fixed stop and by engaging said breech block serve to lock the breech block in the firing position. said actuator also serving at the commencement of the recoil action to retard the breech block and accelerate the carrier, until the actuator is rocked to a position where its projecting end is brought into the receiver, said actuator having a hole into which the rear end of said firing pin projects anda latched hammer constructed to engage ceiver, means cooperative with the mass inertia of said carrier andl with said receiver for lock- .ing carrier and breech block together in the ring position and for first accelerating the recoil accelerate the carrier, until the actuator is rocked 6o to a. position where its projecting end is brought into the receiver.

movement of the carrier over that of the breech block for a predetermined time and thereafter permitting recoil movement of block and carrier to take place at the same speed, said last named means comprising a rocking actuation carried by said carrier and engaging said breech-block, and a fixed stop carnied by said receiver with which said actuator cooperates to hold the parts in the ring position until firing has occurred.

FRANnsEK JANEom. 

